Project Runway: Urban Kong

Hello all and welcome to Project Runway Week 6! Sorry I am little late with the recap, family duties called, but better late than never……right Nathalia? Everyone is recovering from last week, except Laurence, of course, because she makes everything she does look effortless whether it be making an insane dress in 8 hours or just standing there being fabulous and cool. I want to be her.

Heidi comes out and tells the designers they look tired. Thanks Heidi. So she is sending them on……..A VACATION! Everyone is sort of happy, but they also know something is coming down the pipe challenge wise. They are going to ORLANDO! In the weirdest promo/challenge ever, the designers are going to Universal Studios to design an outfit influenced by the “multidimensional experience” ride Skull Island, Reign of Kong. They will be designing fashion forward street wear for the urban jungle. Why not take ten exhausted people, throw them on two planes in less than 24 hours, make them ride roller coasters (Mah-Jing is unhappy about this part, Roberi is thrilled) and then make them design an outfit in one day?? Makes perfect sense.

At Mood, Brik is picking out some very loud fabrics. He got grilled for doing weird pants with tops twice, so he’s going to do them again, and this time do them right. Now look, I like Brik, he seems like a lovely sweet guy, but somehow I don’t think the third time will be the charm with this zebra pant ensemble. Laurence is doing another leather jacket and says that people consider her a leather designer, but she’s really not, leather is just awesome. Jenni makes a snide comment about Laurence perhaps being a one-trick pony. I yell at Jenni to shut up and my son comes downstairs, rolls his eyes and says, Project Runway? He then tells me to try to keep it down. I tell him I can’t make any promises. Erin is going back to making fabric because who doesn’t think of embroidery when they think of urban street wear? Nathalia was influenced by the bats in the ride so she is doing a coat with dolman sleeves and fake Kong fur lining. Cornelius, who doesn’t really do street wear, thinks it’s too literal. Cornelius is right. Dex has decided to unshackle himself from the conventional looks he’s been producing and let his freak flag fly. This should be interesting.

Tim’s Critique

Natalia

Cornelius is doing patched drop crotch jeans and a crop top. Tim tells him to make sure he doesn’t do “A Broadway version of street wear.” Which would be bad. He tells him to channel Heidi.

Dex is doing avant-garde street wear. Tim tells him to be himself 1000% percent. Dex says he would rather be sent home for something he’s proud of than something that isn’t him.

Tim says Brik’s outfit has potential but he’s concerned about the fabric and it looking like a costume. Me too Tim. Those fabrics, ugh.

Roberi doesn’t like street wear because the women in Caracas dress like hootchies in their street wear. Tim tells him not to be too polished.

Rik is doing a denim vest and pants with raw edges. Tim’s cool with it.

Oh Erin. Remember way back when in the first post when I said Erin will be the girl who runs out of time and over-thinks things? She has become that girl. Tim thinks her embroidery looks like a 21st century design version of a Rousseau painting. He is very concerned about her time management though. She says if she pulls off what’s in her head she will definitely be in the top three. I think she will be in a group of three, but not the one she’s thinking of.

Tim has Nathalia edit her heavy coat by cropping it and ditching the Kong fur. Saint Tim just saved Nat’s ass.

MJ is doing a strapless denim dress with an overlay. He and Tim are both happy that the critique finally goes well. I don’t think MJ is much longer for this competition, but he is such a sweet guy.

Laurence

Laurence is doing a cool bomber jacket and drop crotch pants. Her red bomber is fab in an early Michael Jackson way, not in a weird Corey Feldman way. (seriously, what is up with that guy?) Tim loves them but wants to know how she’s going to make them stand out. Laurence says she will add Laurence touches. Laurence touches make everything insta-chic.

Tim leaves and everyone is freaking out except Laurence. All the other designers admire her work. Cornelius sighs and just says, “Bitch”. Cornelius also says what I have been thinking all along about Brik. He does great design and he’s a good tailor but is fabric choices are terrible.

The Runway

Heidi looks really good this week. Simple sexy black dress and I love her jewelry. The guest judges are Rebecca Minkoff the designer and Carly Chaikin, an actress on the show Mr. Robot. This is a cool series that I plan to binge watch at some point. The designers are informed there is no more immunity.

Brik: weird and mis-matched. Rik: She looks like she’s off to kick some ass. He says he channeled his “inner chola”. Nathalia: This look came together beautifully. Love the coat and the pockets. Laurence: She is bothered by the crotch on her pants, but the look is soooo cool. Roberi: Refined street style. Mah-Jing: Dude, why didn’t you make this for the last challenge?? Erin: Erin knows she is fucked. She spent so much time on her embroidered fabric she had to throw together her garment. Her shorts look like the model was rolling in a hay bale. Dexter: Well Dex certainly went avant-garde. Cornelius: Boobies hanging out and Broadway street wear. Not good. Jenni: Junior pajamas.

My Top 3: MJ, Laurence and Nathalia with Laurence for the win. My bottom 3: Erin, Cornelius and Brik.

Judges Top 3

Cornelius

Laurence: No shocker here. Nina wants the look and Heidi says she wants to BE this girl. It is street, smart and elevated. Zak calls it Kong-tastic. Nina says she is very smart in that she is showing them her brand. (Suck on that Jenni) Nathalia: The judges are very happy she turned it around after being in the bottom. Zak tells her it is perfect and impeccable. Nina tells her she did a good job, but methinks Miss Garcia is still not truly impressed with Nat’s taste level. Dexter: WHAT? Well that came out of left field. Nina tells him it’s editorial and that he’s a disruptor and the fashion world needs more of those. But in a twist Heidi and Zak hate it. She doesn’t know who this girl is and he thinks it’s derivative of better designers. Rebecca says if you are going to do avant-garde it needs to be perfectly constructed.

Judges Bottom 3

Cornelius: Heidi says it looks like a school project made by someone who doesn’t know how to sew. Zak says it’s sloppy. Nina said he had an idea but it was poorly executed. Erin: The judges are freaked out Erin would put something out there like this. Zak appreciates her thought process, but Heidi cannot believe she spent a whole day making this embroidered fabric. Mom is disappointed. I mean Nina. Tim tells them her original sketch was awesome but she ran out of time. Brik: Poor Brik. He basically admits he was winging it. Rebecca says that the model looks like she got dressed in the dark and asks if Brik is color blind. Nina says no one wants an expanding butt. Tim tells the judges that the wheels seem to fall off the bus the minute Brik steps in Mood.

Laurence wins!! All is right with the world. Laurence reacts in her very cool Laurence way. Brik is auf’ed to the surprise of no one. Here’s the thing. Erin and Cornelius are very lucky Brik was still in the competition. With the exception of MJ (sorry MJ!) everyone left is pretty strong. No more room for mistakes. Get it together people.

So Laurence has two wins and Brik is off to make weird clothing for the masses. Share your thoughts and have a great weekend!

About tamaratattles

Comments

I’ll take that Grace Jones top of Laurences’ please. Was it sheer, was it blurred because of that? I’d really like to see her make an outfit that she wouldn’t wear. Her interpretation would be interesting.

Love MJ. Pics of he & his wife & child, they make my teeth hurt they are so sweet. But his readiness for this level of challenge is too hit-or-miss.

Rik is interesting in that he nearly always lands in the safe group. I wonder what that will mean in a few episodes.

I miss the big personalities with all the humorous outtakes they used to film. This group is a bit sleepy to me.

I loved Laurence’s look but I have to say I feel that they gave her the win because she was robbed last week. I think this is the first time I’ve seen a look win with such a big error (the crotch) It really did make the model look like she had a penis.

Also, I cringed when Tim said Erin’s embroidery was “like a 21st century Rousseau painting.” Please. It looks like sewn on noodles.

Hi. I wonder why almost ALL of the contestants look like they are doing a Senior project for college.etc?
Using this young age group SUX! because they’re have no life experiences to draw from…you judges should have known better!

Laurence is a phenomenal tailor, but those drop-crotch pants were just a mess. Luckily, her top was amazing. Erin? That outfit looked like it was designed for an elderly Swamp Creature – what a mess! When Jenni used the same technique, at least she made an attractive dress – there was actual design involved. Brik’s outfit was a bit much – you can only take clashing fabrics so far before they become a WTF moment, but he was head and shoulders above Erin. What does the jury see in Erin that I’m completely missing?

Laurence has the innate ability to make anything she touches chic. Plus her sewing is impeccable. The designers could be told to dress their models in the same clothes and accessories, and Laurence’s model would be the chicest. Her pants were like jodphurs, but enough with the drop crotch. When Justin Beiber wears drop crotch pants it moves from urban street cool to banality. Brik’s out fit was bad, but Erin should have gone home.I amthinking she is a one hit wonder. Brik at least showed some imagination.

Hmmmm, I’m thinking how uncool I must be! I did not like Nathalia’s outfit, it was too…huge? the pants were too baggy, those pockets the judges loved looked like an afterthought and I’d die of heat stroke in all the fabric in that jacket. I do like her…maybe I’m just not into street were or what it entails. Laurence can definitely sew and I have liked many of her looks, the jacket was great, just really hated the pants…she has done the drop crotch before. But, she pulled her look off so, she won. Funny, I did not think Brik’s was a last place look. I think it should have been between Erin and snotty Cornelius. The outfit Erin had on was ill fitting (the shorts), but at least Brik’s tailoring was better than Erin’s and Cornelius. Oh well…I though the end of immunity usually came a little later in the season. I wish they would have a full on red carpet (evening gown) challenge!

Maybe I’m tripping but I didn’t think Brik’s look was bad enough to make him go home. I liked it much more than some of the other looks. Erin’s outfit was an awful Home-Ec project from the the Sixties. Laurence’s jacket was spectacular but that’s the ceiling of what she can do.

Call me crazy, but I like Brik’s outfit! Erin should’ve gone home for that awful outfit, but I guess they let her stay since they’ve liked her other stuff and Brik has been in the bottom (every?) time.

I had so much to say about this episode! But I supposed it could all be summed up as WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK ARE THE JUDGES SMOKING THIS WEEKEND.

I AM SO OVER LAURENCE THIS WEEK THAT I WOULD ALMOST RATHER SEE HER GO HOME THAN ERIN. Unfortunately, I fear these are our final two and everything else is just whatever, who cares until we get there.

As someone who has watched almost every season starting way back when the show was on Bravo (big mistake, Bravo. HUGE. YOU HAD TIM GUNN!) The judges used to care about construction. That is no longer a factor. Tim Gunn said something in the workroom this week that I can’t remember because I watch at like 3 am due to scheduling conflicts. But the gist was, “you know how these judges are.” Yes sadly we do.

I really didn’t care at 3 am that Brik went home. They are getting rid of all of the interesting people as all the old people are gone. I see the pattern. They already know who they want at fashion week.

But CJ was not the only one screaming at her TV. But we were doing it (I woke up Banjo) for totally different reasons. Laurence has one look. Leather Jacket with drop crotch pants. Oh and the leather dress that literally looked like a sofa. It was a cool dress, it probably should have one, but it was literally a dress that looked like a couch.

As I am watching the episode, I was thinking Drop Crotch is the new crop top. Then Dex did a drop crotch with a crop top. At this point both should be disallowed along with the circle skirt.

This week the judges gave the win to someone whose model looked like she had a penis and dropped a load. And they admitted it. Well, it’s kinda bad, I mean clearly she seems to have a penis, but WINNER! With a crappy cross breed jacket that appears to be the result of Micheal Jackson and the Michelan man’s wardrobe having a baby. The judges are like, I want to be that girl? With a penis and a shit filled diaper and a hideous leather jacket? I do NOT want what she is having.

Then they put Dexter in the top and his crotch was a nightmare as well!

Nathalia should have won out of those three. Her pants fit the model properly, I loved how the neckline matched the pant color even thought it too was a fucking CROP TOP but the jacket turned out amazing. I get that Tim Gunn practically drew the patterns for her look, but if TIM GUNN is drawing the patterns and it doesn’t win? WTF?

I do agree that Brik MAKES TERRIBLE FABRIC CHOICES. I am not mad he went home. OTOH. If you look at his pants they fit well and getting that zebra fabric to line up so nicely from one leg to the other is not small feat. His top was “I made my own fabric!” if you are Erin and the top is tailored nicely. Whether or not the top and bottom works together, well, I’d say of course not but these judges have considered zebra a neutral in the past when it suited them.

I will shut up now. It’s late. But I could write 50,000 word essay on how much I hate the judges.

TT, I agree with so many of your points. I could not get over the penis in Laurence’s pants, that was unforgivable. Nathalia’s look was impeccable, she should have taken this one.
I think the thing Tim was commenting on was how the judges love yellow this season, steering Cornelius to brighten his look with it.
Brik’s look was ugly, but well made and finished.
Erin’s was horrible, but the judges decided week 1 that they love her so…

I feel like if you win the very first challenge in PR, you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot in fashion week. Do you remember Gretchen? She won the first challenge and a few others in the beginning, and ended up taking the win over a very deserving Mondo. Whether this will be Erin, we’ll just have to see.

This is why I miss the older version of this show. They were generally given two days to complete a challenge which in my mind led to much, much better work and design. I also desperately miss Michael Kors and guest judges who actually knew what the hell they were talking about.

Thank TT you for your comment on the drop crotch pants! When Laurence said she was making them — again — I could not wait for this blog post so I could ask
“How many women actually wear drop crotch pants?”

I know I am “old” but I have NEVER seen a woman in drop crotch pants — ever. AND if a drop-crotch pant design was to be the winning design this week, it should have been Nathalia’s design! That coat was impeccable and the fit of her pants was perfect. I laughed out loud when Heidi said it looked like Laurence’s model had a penis. I thought the same thing. I am at a loss.

Regarding Brik. I actually liked his pants and his top – just not together. I thought if the top had been that pattern but all black or if the pants had been all black he would have been safe.

Erin seems to be faltering a bit to much, it will be interesting to see if she can get back on track. Right now this competition is Laurence’s to lose. Although Roberi is a dark horse who could come out and pull off a win.

When I did my tours of NYC, I made sure to emphasis to the students how important Style is to all NewYorkers, not just the wealthy people. NewYorkers know instantly who the tourist are by the clothes they are wearing. Wearing clothes that get you noticed on the streets is what it is all about. BUT it can not look like a costume and it is such a narrow point of interest to what is considered fashionable and that fashionable look has to be beyond what was fashionable last season.

It is a pressure cooker and if you as a young designer can only do one “look”, you will not survive in the business. There is such a fine line between Costume and Adventguard. This is especially true for all of these relatively inexperienced clothing designers this season. The judges are showing the public just how the sausage is being made. It is not pretty

I actually liked Brik’s outfit but just not together. I felt emotional and it tugged at my heart to see him go. Not because he is a great designer but because he seems so sweet.
My favorite was Natalia’s. Urban chic and wearable.
I wish Erin would have spent more time on construction and no time on that embroidery mess. I liked the openings at the shoulders and would have liked to see where she could have taken the overall design.
The outfit I disliked was Jenni’s. I thought it was awful and didn’t show any design skills. IMO, that outfit should have sent her home.

I actually liked both of Brik’s pieces separately. Even the pants. I could wear with a long top or sweater. I don’t get Nina’s big butt comment. It was streetwear insert Nicki Minaj, J Lo, Amber Rose the list goes on of women who inspire streetwear. Big boodies are all the rage right now. Being ultra skinny and flat butts are out currently. Don’t see anything new or current about the drop crop pants either. MC Hammer made them famous years ago. Then they made a resurgence last year with a J Lo video. That was last year! How about a new fresh approach to streetwear. Are they all running out of ideas or what. I liked Natalia but don’t know anyone who is interested in streetwear who would be interested in that coat. More for older women.all streetwear is inspired by youth and pop culture. I really don’t think any of them hit that mark. I agree MJ should have had his dress last week.

I agree that Nathalia should have won this one. It was beautifully constructed and, if poor construction is considered so should good construction.

As much as I like Laurence, and expect her to win it all I don’t think this was her challenge to win.

I loved the original PR. My favorite challenge was the evening gown one that took place in Paris. The winner (the rocker who was accused of cheating by Laura B.) was an amazingly beautiful yellow plaid gown. Feel free to correct my memory!

I was going to say something snarky about Thriller Penis Pants but TT already hit the nail on the head on every single thing I THOUGHT and wanted to say brilliantly! I so agree–and also with darcyfenix–Laurence was given the win due to last week. Nat truly won this week. Erin or Cornelius should have been auf’fed, but Brik fit the narrative. This is the 1st time this Season I’ve been mad.